Amy Robsart
Amy Robsart is an English noble woman and the first wife of robert dudley , 1st earl of Leicester. Amy married Robert for love but found his affection shifted once Elizabeth Tudor was crowned queen of England. As Robert Rose high in Elizabeth's favour, Amy was largely neglected and abandoned in the countryside where she remained hopeful Robert would return to her. Robert's continued neglect and rumours of a love affair between Robert and the queen made Amy severely depressed and impacted upon her already weak health. At the height of her unhappiness, Amy was murdered by being thrown down a flight of stairs. Her death was used to forever tarnish Robert's reputation and stop him from aspiring to marry the Queen. Historical figure Amy Robsart was born in 1532 in Norfolk, the daughter of a gentleman farmer Sir John Robsart. She received a good education though the primary focus of her education prepared her to run her own household. At the age of 18 she married Robert Dudley in what was widely considered to be a love match. As the couple were quite young, they depended on gifts from their fathers and spilt their time between court and the Robsart household. This domesticy was disrupted in 1553 when Robert was imprison and sentenced to death for his part in unlawfully usurping the throne for Jane Grey. Robert narrowly avoided the block and was later released though the taint of treason impacted on their prospects. in 1557, Amy inherited her parent's property upon both their deaths. Later that same year, Robert went to fight for his King Phillip of Spain. During his absence, Amy sought to tackle the considerable debts her husband accumulated. 1558 brought a dramatic change to their prospects when Elizabeth Tudor was crowned Queen. Robert, whom had long been a friend to Elizabeth, was made master of the horse and was in constant attendance to the young queen. Amy however was seldom brought to court. Her absence only fueled the rumours that should Amy die then Robert would look to marry the queen. Amy's health was delicate, some historians now consider she may have had breast cancer, and this in part kept her from maintaining a presence at court. But it was generally considered that Elizabeth was far too fond of Robert and Robert too ambitious to stay in the Queen's good graces to allow Amy at court often. As Robert's influence grew, he largely neglected and abandoned Amy, With rumours of an divorce being past around the court. Amy spent her time staying with friends throughout England though could not escape the cruel rumours nor be oblivious to Robert's estrangement. Amy's visit to Robert in London in 1559 would be the last time she would ever see her husband again. in December of 1559 Amy moved into Cumnor Place with a family friend Sir Anthony Forestor and his family. She continued to run a fine household and continued to order dresses and coresspond infrequently with her husband. Robert made no plans to see Amy and she lived queitly in the countryside. What she made of this seperation from a man that once married her for love and now was rumoured to be the Queen's lover can only be speculated however it must have been difficult to reconcile. Sunday, 8th of September 1560 would prove to be a fateful day for Amy. On that Sunday a fair was being held and Amy angrily dismissed all the residents of Cumnor place to go to the fair leaving her alone in the property. When they returned Amy was found at the foot of a stairwell with a broken neck. The cause of Amy's death has been a source of speculation ever since. Her delicate health and possible cancer may have weakened her bones causing them to break in an accidental fall. Her unhappiness may have prompted her to commit suicide or she may have been murdered. The immedidate result of her death meant an end to any ambitions of a marriage between the queen and Robert. Suspected of murdering his wife, Robert's reputation was marred and made him an unsuitable candidate for a king consort. Category:Characters Category:Tudor Characters Category:Murdered characters Category:Deceased characters Category:Courtiers Category:English characters Category:Female Characters